In a modern day retelling of Oscar Wilde's famous play The Importance of Being Earnest, Gemma Townley delivers a lovely romp through an interoffice romance in a British advertising agency. Jessica Wild is not a confident heroine, thanks in part to constant criticism from the grandmother who raised her. After her grandmother died at a nursing home, Jessica befriends Grace, another older woman there. She visits each week and tries to share cheerful news, but Grace always asks about Jessica’s love life, which is non-existent. To make Grace happy, Jessica finds herself making up increasingly complex lies about her fake boyfriend, Anthony Milton, who happens to be the head of the advertising agency where she works. Eventually this leads to fake stories about an engagement and even their marriage. Jessica feels guilty about the lies, but Grace seems so happy with the news that is seems harmless.

Jessica is shocked to discover, when Grace passes away unexpectedly, that not only was her friend very wealthy, but that she has left Jessica several million dollars and a beautiful country estate. The only hitch is -- she leaves the inheritance to Mrs. Jessica Milton in the will, and no such person actually exists.  With encouragement from her roommate, and while avoiding calls from the lawyer, Jessica embarks on Project Marriage, an attempt to seduce her boss into a whirlwind wedding so that she doesn't have to come clean about the months of made up stories she was telling Grace. According to the lawyer, she has fifty days to get the paperwork completed so that she can still inherit the estate. As she tries to make herself into someone that Anthony Milton might notice, desire and marry, Jessica feels her priorities shifting, but she hopes it is all for the best. Jessica prides herself on being single and independent, and has never believed in marriage before, but suddenly the Importance of Being Married has never been more relevant, or more confusing!

Check out The Importance of Being Married by Gemma Townley